There could be up to 9 hotels in downtown OKC in a few years: Sheraton, Renaissance, Courtyard Marriott, Hilton Skirvin, Colcord Hotel, Residence Inn, Embassy Suites, Bricktown Hampton Inn, and a small hotel built across from the Bricktown Ballpark on the canal.

By the way, yes, Hammons is building a Residence Inn in Bricktown, but he's promising an Embassy Suites somewhere else in downtown.

"Downtown to boost hotel space


By Tricia Pemberton
The Oklahoman

If all goes as planned, Oklahoma City may have almost 600 new downtown hotel rooms by the time the Big 12 basketball tournament comes to town in 2007.

Planned downtown hotels to meet variety of needs

Renovation work on the 108-room Colcord is under way. Work at the 225-room Hilton Skirvin should start in August.

John Q. Hammons is seeking final approval from Oklahoma City's Urban Renewal Authority for a 150-room Marriott Residence Inn in Bricktown.

Hammons also promises a downtown Embassy Suites in the future.

A 150- to 200-room Hampton Inn is about 90 percent assured by Bricktown developer Marsh Pittman. And a 20-room bed-and-breakfast is envisioned by canal-side property owner Chris Johnson.

"Our downtown hotel inventory is just critical to attracting convention and tourism business," said Steve Collier, executive director of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Collier said 931 rooms are downtown. If all projects on the table go forward, the city would land between 1,500 to 1,700 rooms, and that would adequately match the city's meeting space.

"We'd feel really good about that," Collier said.

"And the quality of rooms is an exciting thing. We're going to have some very high quality to go along with the upscale convention hotels we already have."

JoeVan Bullard, director of Oklahoma City's Urban Renewal Authority, said more hotel rooms would allow Oklahoma City to become a strong Tier 2 city.

"We've always had a large number of hotel rooms, but they're scattered throughout the 620 square miles of the city. With this concentration downtown, it will move us up a notch in the kinds of convention business we can attract. It is very encouraging for the redevelopment of the central business district," Bullard said.

Collier said he would like to see a wider range of prices in downtown hotel offerings.

"You find that in all progressive cities that you have more choices," he said.

Most downtown rooms cost more than $100 per night. There's no guarantee, however, that the new rooms will cost less. Some may cost more. The Colcord's rooms are expected to average about $150 a night.

Bullard expects a hotel boom will help fuel additional retail downtown, which may bring additional housing to the central business district. "

"Planned downtown hotels to meet variety of needs


By Tricia Pemberton
The Oklahoman

Several hotels planned for downtown will target different clienteles, adding hundreds of rooms over the next several years.


Developers will stir a mix of new and old structures to deliver expanded accommodations in the heart of the city.

Construction started this week on transforming the historic Colcord building at 15 N Robinson into a 108-room boutique hotel. Stephen Browne Sr., president of All-American Bottling Co., is the building's owner and an investor in the $9 million project.

"We plan to have luxury suites that will rent for about $150 a night. We'll also have a really nice club lounge that will have a very sophisticated, upscale feel to it," Browne said.

Tulsa-based developer Paul Coury of Coury Properties Inc. said he chose the project because of Oklahoma City's dynamic downtown.

Coury plans to target the high-end business traveler and the social market, he said.

Manhattan Construction Co. from Tulsa is doing the remodeling, with Oklahoma City architect Don Beck in charge of design. Steve Raupe, president of Eureka Water Co., is also an investor.

The hotel will include an independently operated restaurant and lounge run by Alain and Michel Buthion of Oklahoma City's La Baguette Bistro.

Meanwhile, demolition and reconstruction at the 225-room Hilton Skirvin, 1 Park Ave., is hoped to begin Aug. 1, said John Weeman, president of Partners in Development, an Irving, Texas-based company that is a member of Skirvin Partners LLC

Leslie Batchelor, associate general counsel for Oklahoma City's Urban Renewal Authority, said some construction may start before the city closes on the real estate and financing deal later in August.

Batchelor said the city is reworking part of the financing to take advantage of new tax credits. Environmental abatement work is under way.

The city is investing $18.4 million in the project that it hopes to recoup from the ground lease arrangement with Skirvin Partners.

The first work to be done on the $46.4 million project is the removal of the old stucco facade on the first floor, taking it back to the original stone and brick, Batchelor said.

Weeman said a model of a finished suite should be on display by October in the Santa Fe Parking Garage. Skirvin Partners is negotiating lease of the space and additional office space with the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority.

The Skirvin will be managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts under the Hilton flag. Duncan & Miller Design and Kahler Slater architects also are involved in the project.

Not yet through the development phase but promised are two additional hotels by Missouri-based developer John Q. Hammons.

"I will soon be putting under construction a six-story 150-room Residence Inn and a 10-story Embassy Suites in Bricktown," Hammons said.

With both projects needing final approval from Oklahoma City's Urban Renewal Authority it would be premature to comment further, Hammons said.

Randy Hogan with Stonegate Hogan said he sold property to Hammons in 2004 on a site south of Reno between Bass Pro Shops and Sonic's headquarters building.

It's there that Hammons would construct a Residence Inn, which Hogan said he expects to see open by fall 2006.

JoeVan Bullard, director of Oklahoma City's Urban Renewal Authority, said an amendment to delay commencement of construction and approval of conceptual drawings for the Residence Inn is on the authority's July 20 agenda. The delay would allow the city to move a sewer line that's under the footprint of the proposed hotel.

Marsh Pittman said he is 90 percent sure he will be building a Hampton Inn with 150 to 200 rooms on a site just east of his parking garage at 222 E Sheridan in Bricktown.

"Obviously, we feel like Bricktown is the best place in the state of Oklahoma to build a hotel, and the Hampton Inn is a very good product at a reasonable price," Pittman said.

A bed and breakfast is envisioned by Chris Johnson, owner of USA Screen Printing and Embroidery. Johnson purchased a 28,000-square-foot piece of canal-side property just west of the SBC Bricktown Ballpark from area developer Jim Brewer.

"I want to do something smaller and not compete with the big guys," Johnson said. "

Here are some comments that some OKCTalk members have already made:

4 Comments:
Anonymous said...
I think only the Skirvin and the Colcord actually have work going on. The others are more or less "assurances" by the developers and these people like to change their minds a lot. But at least the two more unique projects are going forward.

-BDP

Sunday, July 17, 2005 4:57:16 PM
The Downtown Guy said...
You have a point
My prediction: Skirvin and Colcord: 100 percent certain
Residence Inn: 95 percent certain
Hampton Inn: 75 percent certain
Embassy Suites: 40 percent certain
Chris John hotel (along canal) 20 percent certain
Two other hotels, by the way, are being discussed but I have no way of knowing if they are for real.

Sunday, July 17, 2005 6:03:46 PM
Anonymous said...
Also, the description of the Residence Inn indicated that there have been some special design considerations in regards to the hotel being in the CBD. I believe it was described as being 10-stories tall. This should in no way resemble the two-story apartment style structures that are customary of most RI's. Good news in my book.

Decious

Sunday, July 17, 2005 11:23:46 PM
Anonymous said...
That's kind of the impression I have, too, DTG. I think another interesting point of the article was about pricing. there was a comment by Steve Collier that most "progressive cities... have more choices" when it comes to pricing. I agree with that, but it did say that most downtown rooms start above $100 night. I would say that's also true for most "progressive" cities. Sure, most cities have really expensive rooms too, but $100/night is a good value for most city destinations.

-BDP

Monday, July 18, 2005 11:26:26 AM

Anybody have any clues about the proposed location of Embassy Suites?

According to the article (and its graphic in the paper), the Hampton Inn would be just east of the Power Alley parking garage. I'm not positively sure where, but my guess is that it will occupy the plaza space next to it and adjacent to the ballpark.

It's nine. You're forgetting the Courtyard. I hope the Hampton is taller rather than wider, unlike most Hamptons. We don't want anymore suburbia in Bricktown.

According to the article (and its graphic in the paper), the Hampton Inn would be just east of the Power Alley parking garage.

I would guess that that location would dictate it to be a taller structure than most Hampton we're used to seeing. I do know that there's a taller Hampton Inn in downtown Dallas.

It would be weird seeing a tall building in that part of bricktown. But I think it make a cool location, too, because some rooms would look right down into the ballpark. That is kind of the live music and independant end of bricktown, too. I hope a hotel wouldn't change that.

If I were to guess, the building will probably match the height of the garage. Remember, it has to get approval from Bricktown Urban Design Commission (whose boundries was expanded after the garage was built). So that might help prevent a building that looks too suburban

I would guess that that location would dictate it to be a taller structure than most Hampton we're used to seeing. I do know that there's a taller Hampton Inn in downtown Dallas.

It would be weird seeing a tall building in that part of bricktown. But I think it make a cool location, too, because some rooms would look right down into the ballpark. That is kind of the live music and independant end of bricktown, too. I hope a hotel wouldn't change that.

Yeah, it'd be nice treat for baseball fans. I imagine the visiting teams and their players might find it cool too. During Big 12 tournaments, who wouldn't want to wake up to the site where you'll play for the championship?

Amen to the club corridor point. I wish those places could see more patrons, because it's the place where Bricktown earns its street cred, so to speak. But the Hampton being a lower-priced hotel, it's better than having an Embassy Suites there.

The property owned by Marsh Pitman (proposed Hampton Inn) is directly east of the Power Alley Parking garage. It's a small parcel, so he'd have to go vertical to squeeze in 150 to 200 rooms (as quoted in the article).

Also, a taller structure would provide views over the leftfield fence at The Brick:

http://mysite.verizon.net/res17zef/pitman2.jpg

It's nine. You're forgetting the Courtyard. I hope the Hampton is taller rather than wider, unlike most Hamptons. We don't want anymore suburbia in Bricktown.

Thanks for the clarification. That's even better news!

I would imagine the Hampton will be taller. There isn't much space available on that lot...the only option is to go up.

Thanks for the clarification. That's even better news!

I would imagine the Hampton will be taller. There isn't much space available on that lot...the only option is to go up.

Technically they COULD go down. :LolLolLol I am sure you are correct, however.

Technically they COULD go down. :LolLolLol I am sure you are correct, however.

Here are the chances downtownguy gave for each of the hotels being built. These are only his opinions.

"My prediction: Skirvin and Colcord: 100 percent certain
Residence Inn: 95 percent certain
Hampton Inn: 75 percent certain
Embassy Suites: 40 percent certain
Chris John hotel (along canal) 20 percent certain
Two other hotels, by the way, are being discussed but I have no way of knowing if they are for real."

Man, with all the housing developments and all the hotel developments, imagine the sheer number of people that will be "breathing" downtown 24/7 within 18 months...

We've breached the dam...